Get my itunes music onto my wp7 phone?

September 25, 2011 3:08 AM

How can I get iTunes music onto my Windows Phone?

I have a windows 7 computer and for years I have managed all my music in itunes. I have a "windows phone" smartphone and the "official" music application to use for syncing music to a windows phone is Zune.The Zune software is unsatisfactory to me in many ways and I would prefer to continue to use one music manager, iTunes. I don't mind using Zune as an intermediary (i.e., if there were a way to open an iTunes playilst in Zune and convert that to a Zune playlist). Thanks!

posted by stupidsexyFlanders to Computers & Internet (2 answers total)

On a Windows machine, Zune is the only software I know of to manage media on a Windows Phone. Strangely, instead of releasing the Zune software for Mac OS X (which I personally would prefer...it's just nicer than iTunes), they provide a program to connect Windows Phones to iTunes...bizarre strategy.

Anyways, Playlists are just XML. A quick search turns up a bunch of converters, but this one has worked for me in the past. Just make sure only one (or neither) program is set to organize your folders so the tracks always stay in the same place.
posted by t_dubs at 7:08 AM on September 25, 2011

FWIW, you can right-click your playlists and hit Export, which will export them in several different formats. XML is an option but there's also M3U, which is a more-or-less standard format that most everything reads. caveat: I'm on a Mac and have no idea how the Zune thing works, but it would kinda surprise me if it didn't understand M3U files as they're also used by streaming music sites and whatnot. also, keep in mind older things purchased from the music store in iTunes won't be playable on your phone. (prior to June 25, 2010 or so, purchased music from iTunes had encryption on it. stuff afterwards did not. you can upgrade older tracks if you like, though.)
posted by mrg at 5:58 PM on September 25, 2011